Codebreaker
by Dreamer Dreaming of a Dream
Summary: She looked like any normal person at first glance, but he knew that she wasn't any ordinary girl. "Hannibal, is that you?" He just smiled at her, seeing her dark brown eyes light up. "Max, it's been a while. I have some people I'd like for you to meet." He gestured to the three men behind him. "Team meet Maxine. Max, meet my team." Murdock/OC Rated T for language.
1. After the Fall

Codebreaker

Summary: She looked like any normal person at first glance, but he knew that she wasn't any ordinary girl. "Hannibal, is that you?" He just smiled at her, seeing her dark brown eyes light up. "Max, it's been a while. I have some people I'd like for you to meet." He gestured to the three men behind him. "Team meet Maxine. Max, meet my team." Murdock/OC

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_**Chapter One: After the Fall**_

Delicate fingers glided over the keyboard with ease, dark eyes scanning the bright screens with speed that was practiced over the years. Lips parted as eyebrows furrowed in concentration. Small whispers of pleas came from the owner, teeth biting their bottom lip. "Come on baby, don't be stubborn." They had whispered, their face splitting into two as they smiled widely. "Thank you baby darlin'." They feigned a southern drawl, snatching the flash drive from their coat pocket, they gleefully plugged it in and watched in satisfaction as the information started downloading onto the little thing. They chuckled lowly under their breath, yanking the flash drive from the computer and swiftly getting up from the chair.

They walked away, pausing to look back over their shoulder and at the computer, smiling as they did so. Mirth danced in their eyes as they continued walking out the door, stuffing the flash drive into their jeans pocket, all the while singing a small tune._ "Hangman is comin' down from the gallows and I don't have very long. The jig is up, the news is out. They finally found me. The renegade who had it made. Retrieved for a bounty. Never more to go astray. This'll be the end today. Of the wanted man~"_

She giggled with pleasure as she started skipping down the streets, meshing in with the crowd of people, humming the tune that she loved oh-so much.

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~0~

(4 Months Later...)

* * *

Dark curls could be clearly seen within the large crowd of people as that one person moved swiftly, weaving in and out of the rifts the people created. A small, army green bag hung loosely off of her shoulder as a large, black sweatshirt enveloped the woman's body. Dark, washed jeans covered her legs as red converses covered her feet, tapping softly on the pavement as she walked. Purple earbuds were jammed inside her ears, a small beat coming through them. A look of false happiness covered her face as she walked inside a small comic book store, waving to the cashier and walking through the door that had a sign at the top that read, "Employees Only".

She dragged a hand down her face before shedding off her sweatshirt and putting up her earbuds and shoving her stuff in her locker, putting the combination lock on it again before walking out, sighing silently. _This is what my life has boiled down to, huh? Once a Air Force Major... now a common citizen. What has my life dwindled down to?_ She thought to herself before getting to work, looking at her reflection in the small mirror and glanced down at her black, long sleeved shirt, smiling when seeing Sheldon Cooper's face and seeing the word "Bazinga!" written in green and pink letters. She gave out a short snort before walking over to the counter top and giving a mock salute to the other employee that was now leaving.

_Just another boring day in the life of Maxine Marshals._

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~0~

(A Few Hours Later –Closing Time...)

* * *

A yawn escaped her mouth, keys jingling from her hands as she pulled on her sweatshirt, purple earbuds slinging around her neck, hair being pulled into a messy bun. "Dadda da do do da lada ladada la loo la la loo." She hummed a random tune, dancing a little as she locked the door and turned around, walking homeward. As she walked, her mind wandered over today's events. Nothing unusual happened... but–

There was this one guy with a red cap on his head that came in earlier today, looking over the many comics as his companion trailed lazily behind him. The one with the hat was ruggedly handsome, having dark green eyes, a strong jaw that had stubble occupying his chin. A brown, worn leather jacket covered his torso, leaving his red shirt to peek out as dark, blue jeans covered the lower half of is body, and brown, dirt covered boots pattered on the white tiles of the floor. Guy number two was just as handsome but didn't have the rugged look about him –like the other– that Max loved so much. He –instead– had an almost, dark beard on his face, bright, icy blue eyes –she thought– a narrow jaw, and brown hair that was kept neatly. He wore a black shirt, jeans, and black boots.

Who were these men?

And why in the Hell would they visit this rinky-dink place?

She didn't have much time to ponder on the thought since the two men were coming over to her, the one with the hat smiling childishly as the other let a flirty smile flutter to his face. Standing up straight, Max put on a polite smile and fought down the blush that wanted oh-so desperately to dance upon her face. As they stopped in front of the clear countertop, she got a better look at the one with the cap on his head, or more like his eyes. Not only were they this green that made her shiver inwardly, but they had this crazy, insane look in them that just added to the intensity as he stared at her. Shifting her eyes away quickly, she looked at the other man and did a small victory dance inside. She was right. He did have blue eyes after all.

"How may I help you two?" She had asked, looking between the two men, letting her eyes pause for moment on the shorter of the two before they again shifted to the other.

"Yes, do have issue thirteen of Doctor Jekyll and Mister Hyde?" The one with the red hat on –with Airborne written in yellow letters on it– drawing her attention and making her do a double take on his southern drawl.

_That is one hell of an accent. And it sounds so–_

She broke through her thoughts and blinked twice before going through her memory to see if they did, in fact, have the issue. Cocking her head to the side, she squinted her eyes. "I think so. Hold on one moment." She said, walking away and through the isles of comics until she came upon issue thirteen. Unlocking the glass case, she grabbed the small comic and closed the door, turning around swiftly and making her way over to the two and showing the small book to the southern male. His face lit up immediately as he dug in pocket and pulled out a worn out wallet.

"Ten ninety-three." She stated, watching as he pulled out a twenty and handed it to her, their fingers brushing just for a second before she pulled away and counted throw the bills, giving back his change and the receipt. "Nine o-seven is your change. Have a good day you two." She gave them a small salute, getting two nods in return. As they walked out of the store, Max stared longingly at the back of the one with the beautiful green eyes. It wasn't so much of a "love at first-sight" shit no, she didn't believe in that, but she did think that he was attractive, and also his companion, but in her opinion, she thought the southern spinner was much more handsome than the other.

_Ah well~ It's not like I'm ever gonna see them again._

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~0~

(Present... Walking Down the Street...)

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Her converses pounded on the sidewalk as she stuck one earbud in and cranked up her classic rock. Her steps held a small bounce in them as she passed the many people, not paying attention to the many strange stares she received from the passerby's. She didn't care what they thought of her. They were strangers that will never have the chance to know and befriend her. They didn't know what kind of person she was. They didn't know of her strange habits and calm attitude.

_"Just a small town girl. Livin' in a lonely world~ She took the midnight train. Goin' anywhere~"_

She laughed and started dancing in the middle of the sidewalk, blocking out the many negative comments and harsh glares she got. All that matter was her and the music that was flooding through her ears. Her eyes were full of mirth as she danced down the asphalt, seemingly not having a care in the world. _"Just a city boy. Born and raised in South Detroit~ He took the midnight train. Goin' anywhere~"_

She sung quietly to herself, shaking her hips from side to side, stopping in front of a small, two story house and unlocked the door to her home, shutting the door behind her and made sure that it was locked before kicking off her shoes and landing on her couch with a small 'thud'. She sighed contently, closing her eyes, drifting off into a small peaceful sleep. But not before thinking one last thought.

_Just another ordinary day in this life of mine..._

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~0~

(Hours Later... 2:45 A.M)

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_Thump. Thump. Thump._

"Ugh..." Max groaned, picking her up from the blue cushion and wiping the slobber that poured out of her mouth and dried on the side of her cheek. "Ew." She said simply, licking her dry lips and dragging her body into the kitchen, looking at the bright, green numbers that was flashing on the microwave. "Why am I awake?" She groaned and rubbed her eyes, roughly trailing her hand down the length of her face in weariness. Breathing in a deep breath, the woman removed her hand from her face and reached for the cabinet doo-

_Thump. Thump. Thump._

She paused, her hand slowly coming back to her body, her other going inside of her sweatshirt, fingers caressing around the handle of the gun and pulled it out, switching the safety off. She let out a calming breath and turned around cautiously, bringing herself up against the wall. She bit her lip and turned her head around the corner and her eyes scanned over the area. Everything seemed okay. But that didn't mean that she was going to carelessly walk in her living room and let strangers jump her, hell no.

Cocking her gun, she stepped out and pointed her gun at every direction, her breath somewhat uneven at the moment.

_Thump._

Her hand shot out, another grabbing her wrist and a hand clamping down on her mouth, her startled yelp being muffled. Everything seemed to pause for a moment before her elbow jabbed itself into the person's side, her foot coming down and stopping down on the others. Hard. She grabbed the hand that was on her mouth and bit down on it, making sure she drew blood before turning around and punching the person in the face. Somewhere in the process of all this, she had dropped her gun and she swiftly jumped over her couch and ran over to the baseball bat that was residing in the corner and seized the handle in her grip, turning around and getting ready to swing at the intruder but stopped.

The stranger was at the light switch and had turned it on, probably at the time she was grabbing the bat and held their face in one hand. Now that she got a good look at the stranger, the bat that was in her hands, fell to the floor, her arms falling limply to her side.

Silver hair, tan skin, blue/gray eyes, tall frame, strong jaw, and a small smile on his face.

"John..." She had whispered, gaping at the older male in front of her, not noticing the other occupants that were standing in the kitchen doorway and watching the scene. "Hannibal, is that you?" She smiled, her eyes brightening as she walked closer to him, chuckling breathlessly.

He just smiled at her, seeing her dark brown eyes light up. "Max, it's been a while. I have some people I'd like for you to meet." She watched as he gestured behind him and he watched as her brown eyes shifted to the kitchen door frame, seeing the three other males in her house. As the three came into the living area, her eyes traveled to each one, taking in their appearance. She raised a brow when she saw the two men that came in yesterday and purchased issue thirteen, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and she looked to the other male –who, by the way– was huge compared to her 5"9' frame.

He was big, black, and had a Mohawk –which was random as hell. He had a very kept beard with small sideburns. When her eyes looked at his arms, she noticed a tattoo and saw the word "Ranger", she immediately beamed up at the bigger man.

"Team meet Maxine. Max, meet my team."

_Team? Wow~ Colonel, you sure got busy after I left, didn't you? Which is understandable since I've been gone for how long? About ten years. _She thought to herself and let her eyes fall upon on the southerner with the intense green eyes and red cap, smiling at her politely.

"Team?" She asked, looking over at Hannibal and tearing her eyes away from the southern spinner.

He just smiled and pointed to each one, calling their names in the process. "Over there is Sergent Bosco Baracus." He gestured to the big black man. "But we just call him B.A." She nodded to him, a smile splitting her face in two. John settled a hand down on the tall woman's shoulder and gestured to the other man, the one with movie star good looks. "Over there is Lieutenant Templeton Peck, but we just call him Faceman or Face." She gave him a nod also, watching as a flirty smile split his face. "And last but not least is Captain H.M. Murdock." Her head swiveled to the man with the red cap, finally relieved that she could place a name to his face. But a confused expression crossed her face as she looked at the Captain.

"'H.M.'? What does that stand for?" She asked, looking at all four men but her eyes stopping on Murdock's form as he chuckled and bowed to her.

"The H.M. stands for 'Howling Mad', miss." He said, an insane grin bisecting his face apart in two.

A surprised smile took over her frown and furrowed brow. "'Howling Mad' Murdock? Uh, interesting. And I don't have to ask as to why they call you that. The look in your eye explains it all." She matched his insane grin but was quickly replaced with a serious frown. "You're a Captain, huh? In what exactly?"

He was a little thrown off by her question but didn't lose his grin. "Air Force. I'm the best Captain there is, miss."

"The best?" Max asked, cocking an eyebrow. "Well, I'll just have to see for myself. See if you really are what you say you are. You wouldn't mind that, would you?" Her eyes were challenging as she stared into his green orbs, seeing them light up in determination.

"No, I wouldn't." He just said simply, making her nod and smile.

Hannibal grinned and laughed. "Men, Maxy here is a Major." He paused, letting the his words sink in before adding, "In the Air Force."

Max laughed, removing herself from the older male and walked into the kitchen, switching the light on. "_Used_ to be, Hannibal. I _used_to be a Major." She came back with a bottle of beer in her left hand, her other shoved in her pants pocket, an amused smile gracing her face. "Incase you've forgotten, Jonathan, I was discharged ten years ago."

Hannibal just chuckled as the young woman took a swig of her beer. "Even so, you're still a Major."

She rolled her eyes, a serious frown bring her the corner of lips down and a crease in her brow as her lips pursed. "This is nice and all, John, but uh, why are you here?"

John knew that he could never trick her by just dropping in randomly. He knew that she was smart. She wasn't called "Codebreaker" for nothing. She was somewhat of a hacker. She could break any firewall that was put up within fifty-one hours. She was accepted in the University of Chicago and then dropped out, only to be brought into Princeton University. She was young when she graduated and majored in computer technicians and engineering. But after being in college for only five years and graduating, she didn't go out looking for a job. Oh no, she went into the Air Force. And she became one hell of a Major.

Hannibal gave her a look, one that told her everything before his voice penetrated the silence. She knew what he was going to say, but she waited for him to say it.

"We need your help."

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**Cliff hanger~ (somewhat) Anyways~ this is just a project I'm working on in my head. And you guys are probably wondering, "WHY THE HELL IS SHE MAKING ANOTHER STORY? SHE HASN'T EVEN COMPLETED ANY OF HER OTHERS! WHAT THE HELL?" Well~ It's mostly because I'm ADD and I don't take my meds and so, yeah~ But don't worry, I would never forget my stories, I'm just having writer's block for some or I have lost interest (not really, it's actually this wall in my head that's surrounding some of my imagination and I can't break it down).**

**So guys, please, please, PLEASE tell me if I either should continue this or just stop while I'm at it. Any of you that read this, please leave a review! PLEASE!? It would actually help me with my decision and all that jazz.**

**Until next time~**

**Dreamer Dreaming of a Dream.**


	2. Remember the Name

**_Chapter Two: Remember the Name_**

"We need your help."

Max just stared at the man before her, her head tilted to the side like a curious child. Colonel John "Hannibal" Smith needed her help?

She blinked.

The strong, fortress of a man, needed her help?

She blinked.

What?

She shook her head, blinking rapidly before she gave all of them a strange look. "You–" She pointed to all of them, her two index fingers arrowing back to Hannibal. "–need my help?" She asked slowly, looking a like a drunkard.

"Yes." Hannibal's deep voice vibrated off the walls.

Max stared at him stupidly. Her lips quirked up in a confused half smile. Her eyes squinting as her eyebrows furrowed together with her body slowly leaning to the side. Then a really loud, unladylike snort came from her, followed shortly by a loud laugh. She bended over, one hand on her knee while the other held the cold beer bottle. More snorts shook her body, making more giggles and laughs come from her.

B.A. and Face –who did not know the woman like the Colonel– just stared at her like she was the weirdest person on Earth, while Murdock grinned as he watched the Major try and catch her breath. Her laugh –to him– sounded as insane as he was. It was loud and uneven. It wasn't any delicate bells, that being proven when snorts followed after her large gulps of breaths. Her laugh came from deep inside of her chest, not her vocal cords, he noticed. To his ears, she had a nice laugh. His green eyes watched as she straightened out, wiping away the tears that trailed down her face. Small, short, breathless chuckles came from her. She let out a sigh and stared at the Colonel with a huge grin on her face. Her hand found itself to settle on her hip.

"Funny joke there, Colonel, but seriously; why are you here?" She questioned, taking a quaff of her beer. Hannibal looked at her with a serious face, his blue eyes seeming to change to a cold, stony grey/blue. Her beer slowly lowered from her lips, her grin fading away, her dimples disappearing along with it. Her eyes widened as she breathed in a shaky sigh. Realization punched her in the face the longer she stared at the former Colonel's face. A frown was etched deep in his face, the wrinkles of age coming more visible than before.

"You're not joking, are you?"

"No, Max. I'm completely serious." He answered her, watching as she looked to the floor in embarrassment, her eyebrows furrowing and un–grooving on her face. Her mouth opened and closed several times before she opted for it to stay close. Her shoulders were slumped in defeat, her mocha eyes dragging along his men prior to when they landed on him. Her free hand came up and scratched the back of her head as a cocky smile lit up her face.

"You need help, yeah?" It was a rhetorical question and none of them answered her, watching as the arrogant smirk grew. She bowed mockingly, her voice taking on an Irish accent. "Maxine Mercedes Marshals at your service. Oh and try to remember the name, gents." She gave them an impish grin, her dimples making her face look like a young child. "Come into the kitchen and I'll fix you all some drinks, as well as that nose of yours John." She turned on her heel and walked into the average sized kitchenette. Turning the light on, she grabbed a rag, damping it with cold water before she grabbed some ice out of the freezer and poured it on the hand towel, wrapping the ice in the green cloth.

She turned to the four men, motioning for Hannibal to sit in one of the chairs –watching as he did– and then gestured to the refrigerator. "Drinks are in there, help yourself." She said, setting herself in a chair and leaning forward and dabbed the cold, damp piece of cloth on Hannibal's face, only to click her tongue. Not looking away from the man's nose, she called out to one of the guys, "Can one of you grab a rag and wet it with hot water." She set the makeshift ice pack on the table, her fingers brushing against Face's when he handed her the rag. "Thank you." She softly spoke, her manners giving in when she looked in his eyes.

"You're welcome." He said, giving her a small wink as he sat down with a beer in front of him. The other two were also seated as she glanced around.

Max soon diverted her eyes away from the other three men and looked back at John's nose. Wiping away the blood, she spoke, "You wanna tell me why you need my help?" She asked, tilting chin and gathering the crimson liquid there. Her brown eyes found Hannibal's and they stared at each other. Forgetting about the other occupants in the room, she cocked an eyebrow, giving the older man a look that told him 'I'm-gonna-jab-you-in-the-face-if-you-don't-tell-m e-why-you-are-here' and knowing that she has done it before, he nodded.

"The government is hunting us–"

"Why?" She interrupted him, making sure she got all the blood before grabbing his nose. "Ready?" He nodded and waited for the small tick of pain that would shoot him in the nose. She stood up then, making sure that her fingers were lined up and that if she ram the bone back into place, it won't look as crooked as it does now. Biting her tongue, the woman quickly popped the bone back into place. She glanced up and saw that not an ounce of pain showed on John's face nor body language.

Max slid the cloth that held the ice to the Colonel and he took it, putting it on the bridge of his nose. The ex-Major tossed the bloody rag on the counted, washing her hands in the sink before she plopped down in her sit, her beer in her hand as she chugged it. She stared at the empty bottle as she sucked on her teeth. "So~" She started, her eyes coming up to meet the four males. "Why are you guys wanted by the government?"

And so they told her. Each one of them telling her their take on things. They told her how they all met, with her quirking a brow when Face and B.A. mentioned that Murdock lit the playboy's arm on fire and putting a lightning bolt on the other man's arm. But when they got to the part where the crazy pilot flipped a helicopter, she leaned forward and something sparked in her mocha colored eyes. They continued on telling her how eight years later, they went on a mission to get back some illegal plates.

They told her about how they were falsely accused and stripped of their titles. Hannibal told her that he had stayed in prison for six months until someone named Lynch helped him break out. Face then told her how he was in jail too, but didn't have it as hard as the other three. He also mentioned that Hannibal locked him a tanning bed and proceeded sneak him out. B.A. then told her that he was being transferred to another prison and was riding on a bus when Face and Hannibal got him to come with them.

Last but not least, Murdock then told his story. Now his –in her opinion, of course– was much more fascinating than the others. She hung onto every word that was coming out of his mouth. He told her that he was put in a Mental Hospital in Germany and was transmitted for shock therapy, but he just laughed when he said, "It was loads of fun!" He told her how Hannibal sent him a package while under the name "Annabelle Smith" –causing a snicker to flow out of Max's mouth. He told her how he escaped with B.A. driving through the hospital's wall with a Humvee while Murdock and the other inmates were watching "The Great Escape" when the Humvee was driving towards them.

She laid her head on the heel of her hand, leaning closer. Then they told her how they found General Morrison and that he was actually in on the other guys –who had the plates– side. Her eyes widened at that part. They shifted to Hannibal, her brows furrowing together. She swallowed, and put her eyes back on the other men as they started talking about Face making a plan to catch Lynch and Pike in the act. They told her how they had to disguise Murdock up to look like the dead General with a bag over his head.

They told her that the crazy Captain was shot in the head, but quickly went to tell her that he had a metal helmet with packs of ketchup around it to make it seem like blood when he was shot. When they finished telling her with the ending being that they escaped and the government were still trying to catch their asses.

Max was slouched in her seat, her eyes wide and mouth slightly agape. She just stared at all of them, her eyes darting back and forth between the four men. She opened and closed her mouth several times, trying to grasp the words but known came out. Her voice was just about to exit her throat when there was knock on the door. She paused and got up, walking towards the door with a lazy stride. She opened the door, revealing a teenage girl with a dark German Shepard by her side.

"Ace! There's my boy!" Maxine cooed, bending down and ruffling the dog's fur as he wagged his tail happily. Max looked up at the younger female and smiled at her. "Thanks Charlene, for taking care of my Ace here while I was gone."

"It's no problem, Miss Marshals."

"I hope he wasn't too much trouble–"

"He was no trouble at all, Miss Marshals. He was an angel."

Max smiled brightly and straightened, getting out her wallet and pulled out a twenty. She handed it to Charlene. "Here ya go, Char. Take care of yourself."

Charlene beamed up at the older woman and nodded to her in a goodbye. "Bye Miss Marshals and thanks!"

Max closed the door, smiling down at the large dog that was now by her side. "Awe~" She sang. "Did my Acey miss me?" She said in a babyish voice, dropping to her knees and she rubbed her pet. "That's a good boy, that's a good boy! Who's a good boy?" She asked, scratching his tummy as he barked happily. "You are! Oh yes you are." She dragged her nails up to scratch him behind the ears. The young dog stood up and licked her on the nose, making her chuckle. "Guess what Ace?"

He barked.

"We have guests so be nice." He barked again, his tongue hanging out of his mouth. She nodded to herself and straightened up, walking towards the kitchen and stopped in the doorframe, leaning up against it. Her face lost the carefree smile and was replaced by an arrogant smirk. Her arms were crossed over her chest as something shined in her eyes. "That was a nice story and all, but, uh… Why do you need my help?" She asked. She had an idea of why Hannibal needed her help. It was one of the many scenarios she created before.

John looked at her, a serious frown on his face. He knew that she knew. He knew that she was just a crazy girl that wanted people to admit what they were thinking and why they needed help. He knew that she had already imagined the scenario. Why she was like this? Well, it was mostly because of her mother being a control freak and her father being a cheating workaholic. How did he know? She told him. And plus, she told him that she was stubborn as hell and there was no way that she was going to change the way she does things.

And as he looked in her light brown eyes, he saw a flash of the young cadet he saw back talking to the drill sergeant. He saw the girl that was lost in insanity as she flew anything that could fly. He saw the girl that laughed all the time and always gave him one of the best cigars he could ask for.

But now as he looked at her, he saw a grown woman.

He saw one of the best damn hackers in the world.

"We need you to help us to make new identities."

A pair of green eyes watched as a huge smile formed on her face, her eyes lighting up like a freaking lightning bolt. And he watched as a look —one he was so used to, one that made a crazy smile flicker on his face. The look of insanity lit up her brown eyes.

She stood up straight, shoulders square, and she nodded to him. "It would be an honor, Sir."

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**I would like to thank the ones that have reviewed; Crystal-Wolf-Guardain-967, linguisticRenegade, (a) Guest, jack348ja (Thank you for telling me that I was one of the best stories out there ;D), WhiteWishxDarkSoul, and ForeverTeamEdward13.  
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**I would like to say thank you to the ones who followed; Alice Madison Parker, Bunnie.863, Crystal-Wolf-Guardain-967, ForeverTeamEdward13, Hope and love, Mademoiselle Diablerie, SerenitySparrow, Sharpshooter7, Shewolf-skittles-twist14, WhiteWishxDarkSoul, jack348ja, linguisticRenegade, ninja enchantress, and shadowwalker213.**

**And everyone who hath favorited; Crystal-Wolf-Guardain-967, RiverWinchester, Writers Block 420, and jack348ja.**

**Thank you all and I hope you all liked the second chapter.**

**Until next time~**

**—A Dreamer Dreaming of a Dream**


	3. Bonding Over Orange Juice Pancakes

**I don't think I ever did the disclaimer... **

**Disclaimer: I do not own the A-Team... or Sharlto Copley *cue sobs* **

**But~ I do own Max and the storyline that my imagination created :D And hey! I can always dream of Copley, right? *daydreams of Sharlto* I don't care what anybody says, I would rather choose Copley over Bradley any day of the week. *swoon and giggle like a girly-girl* **

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**Chapter_ Three: Bonding Over Orange Juice Pancakes_**

_"It would be an honor, Sir."_

Minutes later, the young woman had showed them two of the guest rooms she had. Giving them a sympathetic smile, she decided that they could choose on whom bunked with whom, then she walked to her own room, departing with a "goodnight" as she did so. Three of the men turned to each other, discussing on who gets which room, while one watched as Max walked into her bedroom, pausing to let her German Shepard in and then closed the door. Only when the sound of a soft click snapped him out of his stare and he heard the voice of Hannibal. John then told who would room with who. Murdock and B.A. got one room while Hannibal and Face got the other.

The four men said their goodnights and went to their respectable rooms. Murdock, once he was settled in and was on his side of the bed, he closed his eyes and dreamed of flying helicopters and a familiar German Shepherd barking happily by his side.

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~0~

3:09 A.M.

* * *

Smoke poured from her lips, her eyes drooping lazily as she stared at the computer screen. Her fingers glided easily over the keyboard, feeling the sense of familiarity running through her body. Maxine's brown eyes danced across the many windows she had opened on the screen. Taking one last drag from her cigarette, Max smashed the head into the ash tray and sighed, letting her hands rub at her face. So many thoughts ran through her head and she concluded that she wasn't going to catch a wink of sleep that night.

_General Morrison... _Her train of thought trailed off, her expression taking on a sad look as she laid her chin in the palm of her hand. _Why did you do it, you old fart?_ Images of her, Hannibal, and Morrison flashed through her eyes, making her heart thump painfully. A bitter laugh escaped her throat as she stared off into space, letting her memories of being a Major flood back.

* * *

_"You cadets are nothing but snot nosed, crybabies!" Major Maxine yelled, her 5'9" frame walking down the line of cadets as they all stared straight ahead. "You're not even crybabies! You wanna know why?" A pause littered the air around them. "Because that would be insulting the little tykes! No, you soldiers are worse than that." A sneer ran across her face as she looked at all her cadets. Her stature was tall and proud, her eyes hard, and her lips were in a firm frown. "You all are dismissed for today, but you better get ready to wake up extra early for your punishments! Get out of my sight!" And they did just that, making the young woman shake her head in disappointment._

_Pathetic, she thought pitifully. What happened? Normally the cadets I get are not so... Scared of my methods of training. She shrugged, leaving to retire to her tent. But as she walked, she thought about the cadets she received a few weeks ago. Normally her teaching methods would consist of having the soldiers go into a aircraft with her and she would normally do flips and try to make them squeal._

_But after a couple of days of "torturing" her cadets, they would get used to the way she trained them and would be willing to follow every command that she gave out. But there was something wrong with this batch of Airborne Rangers. After weeks of her methods, they were still a little nervous and jittery around her. It was like they were afraid of her. Of course it was never a bad thing of being afraid of, but it need to be that respectable fear that she was receiving, not just fear itself._

_Besides, it pissed her off that they were acting like little crybabies._

_"A penny for your thoughts, Major?"_

_Startled, the young woman whirled around to see the General standing there with a knowing smile on his face. Max rolled her eyes and smirked, laying a hand on her racing heart. "General." She saluted him, acknowledging his rank. Morrison gave her one of his famous "grandfather smiles" and gestured for her to walk beside him._

_The walked in silence for a moment, only letting the sounds of other soldiers fill the environment around them._

_"You wanna tell me what's on your mind, Maxine?" Morrison asked, looking over at the young Major._

_She shrugged and glanced up at the night sky. "It's just these cadets, is all." She paused, letting a sigh escape her lips. "This new batch of soldiers are scared of me, sir. And after weeks of doing my routine of training methods, they still hold fear of what I will do. Normally the limit is five days of the cadets getting used to me sir, but now—"_

_"You think you're losing your touch, don't you?" General Morrison asked her, interrupting her explanation._

_She stopped walking and looked away from her commanding officer. She didn't want him to see her face. Because he would know that what he just suggested was true. Max thought that she was losing her touch and she hated to even think that. She was the best damn pilot that this garrison had and she would be damned and would rather be thrown off a fucking bridge before she ever came to terms that she was losing her touch._

_"Morrison, you know me better than anybody in this damn sand trap..." She trailed off, stuffing her hands in her pockets and staring down at her boots. "You know that I would rather be hit by a train than to ever think of coming to terms of ever losing my touch in training Airborne Rangers, General." She smirked and mirth filled her eyes. "You know me just like you know the back of your hand, gramps."_

_He laughed and patted her shoulder, trapping her in his leveled stare. "Major Maxine Mercedes Marshals, if anything —and may God ever strike me down if I am wrong— you are not losing your touch." He ruffled her hair, making a whine of protest makes it's way out of her mouth and into his ears. "Just be patient. They'll come around, believe me."_

_And then he walked away, leaving Max too ponder over his words of old aged wisdom._

* * *

A laugh of amusement filled her lungs as she twirled around in her chair, thinking back on how Morrison treated her like one of his own granddaughter. Her smile soon turned down in a small frown, remembering the last time she saw him.

* * *

_"Major Marshals, since you are responsible of the destruction of not only three aircrafts, but also the failure of the capture of Ridge Kingsley and the death of three soldiers, you are hereby dishonorably discharged and stripped of your title."_

_Maxine kept the tears away and held her breath when another officer stood in front of her and stripped her of her title and what pride she had left. Everything was taken away from her in those short seconds. Her body was frozen as her eyes fell to the floor in shame. She had failed. She failed herself. She failed her uncle. She failed Hannibal. And most importantly, she had failed General Morrison._

_Her brown eyes drifted up to scan for the old man's face and what she saw made her want to runaway and cry her eyes out._

_The General's face was set firmly in disappointment. His eyes were hard and emotionless. He wasn't even looking at her, but through her, like he didn't even want to be there. Her posture drooped from its stiffness as she stared at Morrison, hoping that he would do or say something._

_But he never did._

_He turned away from her and walked away._

_A tear slipped from her eyes, trailing down her cheek and onto the floor._

_And for a brief moment, Maxine thought she saw his shoulders sag._

* * *

A small tear escaped her eye. She didn't move to wipe it away. She just let it slowly run down her cheek and pause at her chin before dropping to the table. She took a large gulp of air and held it for a second before she harshly blew it out her nose. It was her fault in the first place. She was the one who failed and had those three soldiers killed.

It was her goddamn fault and she was never going to let herself ever forget that.

Blinking four times, Max decided to stand up and stretched her legs. She twisted her torso, hearing her spine pop. Shaking her shoulders, the brunette looked at her wrist to check the time. It was 5:49. Max made the decision to start making breakfast for herself and the other four men that were occupying her home.

It was quiet in the small home. Too quiet for Max's liking. Pausing in her cutting of carrots, the young woman walked over to the radio —that was occupying her living room— and turned it on.

_"All my friends know the low rider. The low rider is a little higher. Low rider drives a little slower. Low rider is a real goer~"_

A laugh escaped her as she danced a little, her mood skyrocketing to being much more happier and full of life. She danced to the kitchen, singing along. _"Low rider is the one to meet yeah! Low rider don't use no gas now. Low rider don't drive too fast~"_

There was a pause as the tune played, giving her time to dance properly. She shook her hips to the beat as she hummed the tune.

* * *

Opening his eyes groggily, Murdock sat up and dragged a hand through his messy hair. His green eyes racked around the room, remembering the previous events that occurred last night... or early this morning. The former Captain stood up, making sure that he didn't disturb B.A. as the big man slept.

He wasn't exactly a morning person and Murdock was the one to find out. The insane male tip-toed out of the room, only to pause in the hallway. He stopped as he heard music coming from downstairs. He also smelt something cooking. Taking the opportunity of having the other three men asleep and having a chance to speak to Maxine, the crazy pilot climbed down the stairs quietly.

As he got closer, he could hear singing.

_"Take a little trip. Take a little trip. Take a little trip and see~"_

He stood in the living room and watched as Max danced around the kitchen, singing "Low Rider" while cooking. She had a huge smile on her face. Her hair was tied up in a messy bun, making strands of hair brush her forehead and her cheeks.

_"Take a little trip. Take a little trip. Take a little trip with me~"_ The music started fading and Maxine's dancing calmed down... only to be started up again when the Red Hot Chili Pepper's "Snow (Hey Oh)" vibrated through the speakers. He hadn't noticed it, but a huge ass grin —that could match the Cheshire Cat's— had split his face in half.

_"Come to decide that the things that I tried were in my life just to get high on. When I sit alone, come get a little known. But I need more than myself this time. Step from the road to the sea to the sky, and I do believe that we rely on. When I lay it on, come get to play it on. All my life to sacrifice."_ She sung, pausing in her dance to look over her shoulder and see him standing there.

The two loons grinned at each other and she asked, "Can you cook, Captain?"

Murdock's eyes sparked with interest. "You can bet your burner I can." He said, walking over to her and standing beside her, watching as she chopped some chocolate up and dumped in some batter.

Max laughed and grabbed another apron, handing it to him. The former Captain gladly accepted it with a, "Thank you, my lady." He faked an old English accent, making a chuckle rise from her throat.

"You very welcome, good sir." She played along, telling him what to do and how to do it. He didn't go against her small orders of how she was cooking her food. He went along with her, watching her at how she did it so he didn't get on her bad side. If he learned anything from his mother over the years of growing up, he has learned to never anger a woman. Besides, wasn't there a sayin' about a woman's fury?

Hell hath no fury like a woman's, or something or other like that.

_"Ho! Went to descend to amend for a friend of the channels that had broken down."_ The two sung, having no restraints when they laughed at their accuracy of singing at the same time. They just continued,_ "Now you bring it up, I'm gonna ring it up, just to hear you sing it out. Step from the road to the sea to the sky, and I do believe what we rely on. When I lay it on, come get to play it on. All my life to sacrifice~"_

The two pilots created a comfortable atmosphere around them. They danced, they laughed, and they smiled the whole time. It was nice and relaxing, far more different when Murdock and the team have to move from place to place and sometimes eat out instead of him cooking.

_"Deep beneath the cover of another perfect wonder where it's so white as snow, finally divided by a word so undecided and there's nowhere to go. Deep beneath the cover of another perfect wonder where it's so white as snow..."_ Max danced over to the refrigerator while Murdock took over her station until she came back over.

_"Running through the field where all my tracks will be concealed and there's nowhere to go. I said hey oh yeah oh yeah, tell my love now. Hey yeah yeah, oh yeah~"_ He sung the last part, watching as Maxine brought over the orange juice and smiled at him when a confused expression fluttered to his face when she poured it in some of the batter.

"Don't question me, Captain." Even though she knew that he hasn't been a Captain two years, she was still calling him that. She wasn't mocking him, no, actually she as giving him respect of what he was ranked to be. He noticed that she did that to Hannibal too.

When she looked back up at him, he saw a spark in her eyes that made him hang on to her every word. Because in a weird and crazy way, she was a girl version of him. And he was happy that he wasn't the only insane pilot in this world.

She looked proud as she poured the batter in the pan. "It's my own recipe. Orange flavored pancakes." She told him.

Furrowing his brow, Murdock decided not to question her but he did say, "Sounds interesting. Never really experimented with it before. How did you come up with it?"

The former Major laughed at the memory when she discovered on how to make "Orange Juice Pancakes". "Well, it's a pretty strange story. And when most people ask me, they regret it as soon as I'm done telling them of that faithful day." She gave him a look and asked, "Are you really sure that you want to hear it?"

"Yes." There was no hesitation in his voice and she giggled.

"Alright. Try not to say that I didn't warn you~" She said, having them both laugh. She bit her bottom lip, trying to remember when it first started. "It happened thirteen years ago when I was still a Major in the Air Force. See, I was trying to be nice and cook breakfast for Hannibal and Morrison for the first time. They didn't know I could cook, so they never asked me to do it before." She paused, adding some sugar in the pan.

"So here it was, five-fifty in the morning and I'm up making breakfast for the two bongo heads. When I was mixing the batter, I took a pause and as I was reaching for the milk, I had accidentally grabbed the orange juice and poured it in. I didn't even have another batch of pancake mix and even if I did, it was too late to even make another. So instead of me trying to fix it and try to make it better, I take the chance and pour some more.

I didn't even taste it, all I did was pour the mixture into the pans and let them cook. Nothing really changed, they looked like regular pancakes once they were done. Except for the small hue of orange that came from them. The messed up thing about the whole thing was when I started laughing for no fudging reason. I thought —personally— that it was the idea of orange flavored pancakes and having never before tried it but letting the bongo heads try them instead—"

"'Bongo heads'?" He asked, interrupting her for the first time. This was the second time she used that term for Hannibal and the dead General.

She had no qualms about him interrupting her like that. She just simply waved it off and laughed. "Another amazingly funny story that will have to wait for another time. Anyways, when Hannibal and Morrison woke up, I walk straight up to them and grabbed their wrist, telling them that I made breakfast. They look at me like I was crazy but once they saw that stack of delicious looking pancakes, they didn't stop to question me. They just sat down and dug right in.

Now this is where it gets funny. Once they started chewing, their faces took on this silly look, like a expression that told me or anyone else that would've saw them that day that said, 'what-the-hell-are-in-this-pancakes-and-why-did-we -trust-her?'. It was hilarious because they kept eating the food, but kept giving me weird looks as though I was going to blurt out what I put in it. So when their done and everything's gone, I tell them that something was slipped in the pancakes."

She pauses to snort, taking some time to laugh.

"I didn't tell them for weeks just to get on their nerves and somewhat question what they really ate. It was around week ten when I finally told them. You know what they did to get me back? They replaced every drink that I had with orange juice and when they went and got some doughnuts, they bought me orange twists instead. It pissed me off because soon, I was getting sick of all this orange junk." Max shook her head, remembering when she grabbed the box full of orange twists and throwing them onto the floor. She even went as far jumping on them and stomping them into the ground, she was so angry.

"But after I told them that it was an accident and threatened them that if they ever gave me anything orange again, I would shove my foot so far up their asses that they would be tasting oil and dirt for three months. And we called a truce, but when the next morning rolled around, I found them in the kitchen trying to make Orange Juice Pancakes."

They both laughed, Max more than Murdock. Once they calmed down their giggles, the two looked at each other. Childlike brown met insane green. Murdock's eyes roamed over her face, seeing little specks scattered about her face. She had dimples, he noted and they made her look more innocent than what she really was.

She sucked on her teeth, pointing her index finger in his face. "I like you." She said simply. "I think that we're going to get along just fine."

Murdock smiled his crazy grin and said, "I wouldn't have any other way, Major. Besides, I think it would be awesome to have another insane pilot around."

She laughed, flipping the pancake. "If you only knew how crazy I am when controlling anything that flew, if only..."

* * *

Hannibal soon woke up, making the other two men wake up also. He noticed right off that Murdock wasn't still in bed, only noticing that there was laughing and music coming from downstairs. John, Face, and B.A. traveled down the steps, stopping in the living room to watch as Max and Murdock move around the kitchen with friendly smiles on their faces. They laughed and traded words after words.

Max even sung a part or two in some song started playing.

_"So light 'em up, up, up. Light 'em up, up, up. Light 'em up, up, up. I'm on fire!"_

Murdock could only laugh as the brunette raised her voice in a high pitch. The ex-Captain didn't know this song so he decided to sit this one out and just listen to woman sized kid.

B.A. and Face exchanged looks, both of the men's eyebrows raised with a confused expression on their faces, but the confusion had amusement underlining it.

Hannibal watched as Murdock turned to look at the other three men and grinned, nudging Max —who was beside him— who looked to where he was looking and laughed.

"Good mornin', gents!" She greeted and gestured to the empty seats surrounding the table. "Breakfast is served!" Both Max and Murdock sat down, looking at the other three expectantly. Max grabbed some sort of remote and pointed it to the radio that was blasting music and with a press of a button, it stopped.

Hannibal walked over to the table, taking a seat on Max's right as Murdock took the one in front of her, that way he could look at her while he talked. B.A. and Face followed Hannibal's example and also took a seat. Face took the seat beside Max's left while B.A. took the one in front of Hannibal.

Max smiled happily as they all ate, some jabs being thrown here and there. She didn't understand half of them, but that didn't stop her from chuckling every once and a while.

Face took a bite out of the pancakes and made a weird looking expression. He chewed them slowly, trying to describe the taste that was cloaking his tastebuds. Finally he gave up on trying to find out what the taste was, he turned to look at Max who was giving him an amused smile.

"Having trouble in trying to figure it out, Face?" She asked, taking a bite of pancakes herself and not batting a eyelash at the weird but nice flavor.

"Yeah," he admitted, giving her a smirk in return. "It's good and all, but what's the flavor?"

Max exchanged a look with Murdock and the two turned to give Face identical secret filled smiles.

"Sorry but that's a secret there, buddy." Murdock told him, making a snort come from Max.

"You'll just have to fig—"

"—It's orange flavored pancakes, Face." Hannibal interjected, making Max whine and Murdock sigh.

"Jooohn~!" The brunette whined, slouching in her seat as she looked at him with fake tears in her eyes. "Now why did you go and do that for? I wanted him to figure it out."

The silvered haired man chuckled at her and ruffled her hair. "Because you did that to Morrison and I thirteen years ago." She gave him a sheepish smile. "And you made us wait it out until you finally told us—"

"The important thing is that I told you bo—"

"After ten weeks." The older man said, taking a bite out of his eggs.

Max and Murdock looked at each other and laughed. B.A. smiled at Hannibal and Max's small banter while Face shook his head and stabbed his fork in the pancakes and took another bite.

"But hey, you both got me back." The female pilot replied back, giving him a small, pretend frown.

"What did you do Hannibal?" B.A. asked, looking interested in what the Colonel did to get back at the woman.

The older man smiled, remembering it like it was yesterday. "Morrison and I replaced every drink she had with orange juice and whenever we had a chance, we would get her orange twists."

Max groaned in disgust, taking some of her bacon into her mouth. "I got sick of it after a while and then I got mad and threatened both of them to stop. And they did."

Face, B.A., and Murdock chuckled at Max's grumpy face. The air around them was comfortable and Max fell into their banter easily, following along as best as she could. It was nice, she concluded. Having these men occupying her home, it was nice. She never liked being alone in this home. Sure she liked being independent and all, but when she came home to an empty house, it made her think about the past. And sometimes the past hurt and she wouldn't get any sleep that night.

But having these men in house made all the bad thoughts fly away, making her actually feel lighter and happier than she had ever felt ever since she was discharged.

It was the first time in a long time that she had ever forgot about the aircrafts, Ridge Kingsley, and the three dead soldiers in that moment.

* * *

After breakfast was eaten and the dishes were put in the dishwasher, the five humans, plus dog, started making a plan of action.

"The deal is that I can help you guys disappear." Max stated, pacing around some, looking at each of the former Rangers.

"But..?" Face asked, knowing that was a "but" coming on.

Max looked at him and gave them apologetic smiles. "But I can't do it here." She scratched her arm. "I can't risk having the government tracing my signal back to me. Besides," she paused, gathering her thoughts before she said, "I'm a ghost myself. I can't risk having the government finding out I'm still alive." She avoided eye contact with Hannibal and resumed her pacing.

"If you can't do it here, where are we suppose to go?" B.A. interjected, his big arms crossed over his chest. Maxine's worried frown slowly turned into a smile.

"That's a very good question, Sergeant. But I have to ask you all something first." She looked at all of them, her eyes filling with mirth.

Hannibal knew that she was going to ask something insane. He knew this girl just like he knew the back of his hand. He knew her weaknesses, her strengths, her flaws, and just her entirely. He knew that wherever her HQ was, it was somewhere that could only fascinate her. It had to be somewhere that sparked her interest. It had to be somewhere that—

"Do any of you have any qualms about Moscow, Russia?" She asked, eyes wide with excitement. They all shook their heads "no" and Max clapped her hands together. Looking like a child on Christmas morning. "Good! Because that's where we're headin'! So pack your things, gents. We'll be leaving tomorrow morning!"

"Wait, wait, wait." Face said, interrupting Max's excitement. "How are we going to leave for Russia so early? We don't even have tickets!" He stated, looking at her wide eyed.

She just grinned and _tsked_ at him. "Don't you worry about a thing, Lieutenant. You just let me handle that." And then she skipped out the back door, reaching in her pocket and grabbed her phone, dialing a number quickly.

Face just stared after her, his jaw slacked. He opened and closed his mouth a couple of times before he blurted, "This chick is just as insane as you are Murdock!"

The other three men laughed, oblivious to the conversation that was going on outside.

* * *

"Hey Ches, what's up?" She asked, kicking her foot in the grass.

_"Max? Hey girl, nothing much. Why are you calling?"_ He said over the phone as she grinned, hearing the groggy reply.

"Because I need a huge favor..."

_"Oh God..."_

She laughed.

* * *

**Yelp, there you have folks! Hoped you enjoyed it! AND I MADE IT LONG BECAUSE I WAITED SO LONG TO UPDATE IT AND I'M SORRY~! Anyways, I hoped you guys liked it~ Please leave a review! Oh and I have come to realization that I am officially obsessed with Copley. And I regret nothing. Because it doesn't hurt. Because I run into the embrace of the Copley fandom. Because he's face makes me happy. Because he is the REAL African American (It's an inside joke me and my friend made up). Because he's Sharlto Copley.**

**Until next time~ **

**—Dreamer Dreaming of a Dream**

**P.S. And that Orange Juice Pancake thing, that actually happened, but instead of grabbing the wrong thing, I was bumped into and I knocked over orange juice in the batter.. But it was pretty good. :D**


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